Domotex moves Middle East show to Istanbul, Turkey from Dubai

Martin Folkerts, director global fairs, Deutsche Messe AG, talks with FCW publisher, editor in chief Santiago Montero about the move to Istanbul and the expectations for the new venue.

Explain the thinking behind the Istanbul show.

Folkerts: DOMOTEX Middle East is a B2B flooring show that goes for visitors from Turkey and Middle East. We aim at visitors that do not (yet) attend DOMOTEX in Hannover. This can be people from Middle East or Turkey who want to avoid the visa procedure, but most of the visitors are expected to be buyers who move mainly or solely in the Turkish and Middle East region.

What happened with Dubai that encouraged Domotex to look elsewhere?

Folkerts: Dubai was a trading hub for the Middle East when we started the show in 2006. At that time, a lot of projects were planned and done in Dubai. By now, building projects and the general hype about Dubai are back to a normal level. Still, Middle East is still a growing region with an immense need for flooring and limited local production. So we looked for a new location in a country with a booming economy and an easy access to the Middle East countries. Istanbul perfectly matches these requirements.

Will Turkey’s position in the EU make a difference to the show for either attendees or exhibitors?

Folkerts: While Istanbul lies partly in Europe, Turkey has a traditionally close link to the Arab world. They share the same religion and have long connections in history. We are happy to welcome exhibitors from European countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as well as from non-European countries like China, India, Pakistan, UAE and USA. Of course, Turkish exhibitors also form a big part of the show. The visitor region, however, is different: We do visitor promotion exclusively in Turkey and Middle Eastern countries.

What is the outlook for the Turkish economy?

Folkerts: The boom in Turkey is incredible. Turkey belongs to the fastest growing economy in the world, and in the first nine months of last year, the growth of the Turkish economy even out-ran China. Right now, the government is trying to tame the heavy upsurge.

How confident are you that Istanbul will be able to build upon the success you’ve already had in the region as opposed to having to start over building the show?

Folkerts: From 2006 to 2011, when we held DOMOTEX Middle East in Dubai, we had the chance to get a close insight into the Middle East flooring market. We built up intense relations to flooring producers and also to flooring buyers in the region. The show in Istanbul will definitely benefit from these contacts. In Istanbul, we have a well-established subsidiary that has been organizing trade fairs for decades. Our local office also brings Turkish exhibitors and visitors to DOMOTEX in Hannover every year, so our colleagues are in close touch with the domestic manufacturers and buyers.

What are some of the dynamics of the Turkish market that makes Istanbul a draw for international suppliers of flooring?

Folkerts: Though it sounds incredible: Turkey being a world producer of carpets still imports considerable amounts of rugs, especially in the hand-made section. At the same time, the number of companies manufacturing textile wall-to-wall and resilient floor coverings as well as parquet and laminate is rather limited. This offers plenty of opportunities to foreign exhibitors.

How about special events, conferences, and so on? What do you have planned?

Folkerts: As a DOMOTEX event, DOMOTEX Middle East will not fail to offer a program of parallel conferences, seminars and presentations. We will have the IHIB Design Awards on-site — an event of young Turkish designers who create unusual carpets with new designs and extraordinary materials. In addition a seminar program on current topics will be offered — details will follow soon. And we are planning a special event for architects and interior designers.

How many visitors are you expecting?

Folkerts: As this is our first flooring show in Turkey, this is hard to say. However, exhibitors do not judge a show according to the number of total visitors, but according to how many quality contacts they had at their booths. So rather than trying to impress with big numbers, we are aiming at high-range visitors.